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Molecular Mechanism Underlying Plant Drought and Salinity Stress Tolerance
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Molecular Mechanism Underlying Plant Drought and Salinity Stress Tolerance

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 7146

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marzena Kurowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
Interests: mutagenesis; TILLING; phytohormones; jasmonates; aquaporins, drought and salinity stress response; crop; barley
Dr. Boris Lazarević

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: crop nutrition; crop ecophysiology; using plant phenotyping techniques in the quantification of plant abiotic and biotic stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change and global warming are undeniable realities; unfortunately, their adverse impacts on agriculture are expected to worsen. Over the long term, food security may be jeopardized. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (2023), the global mean temperature rose by 0.8 °C in the 20th century and is projected to increase further in the 21st century. In light of escalating climate change scenarios, which exacerbate the frequency and intensity of drought and salinity events, we urgently need to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing plant responses to these abiotic stresses. While drought and salinity have distinct characteristics, they both induce water stress, leading to a slowdown in growth, altered stomatal aperture, and nutrient deficiencies, while concurrently resulting in heightened oxidative stress due to an imbalance in reactive oxygen species (ROS) biosynthesis and detoxification.

In this Special Issue, we invite research and review papers that investigate plant responses at the molecular level to drought and salinity stress, including oxidative stress, photosynthetic efficiency, detoxification mechanisms, and the regulation of aquaporins. Through these investigations, we aim to elucidate crucial insights that could drive new breeding strategies and facilitate the development of more resilient crop varieties, thereby informing agricultural practices to adapt effectively to the challenges of changing climate conditions.

Dr. Marzena Kurowska
Dr. Boris Lazarević
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • drought
  • salinity
  • oxidative stress
  • antioxidant mechanism
  • photosynthesis
  • aquaporins
  • gene expression analysis

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5770 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of the SlSET Gene Family and the Function of SlSET6 Under Salt Stress
by Xueying Yang, Yan Gao, Chengyu Zhu, Xin Li, Yuliang Gao and Kuihua Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13461; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413461 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 768
Abstract
A comprehensive genome-wide identification of SET-domain-containing genes in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) has revealed 46 members. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these SET genes, along with those from Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, are divided into five subfamilies, with Subfamilies II and V being [...] Read more.
A comprehensive genome-wide identification of SET-domain-containing genes in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) has revealed 46 members. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these SET genes, along with those from Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, are divided into five subfamilies, with Subfamilies II and V being the largest. Motif and domain analyses identified 15 conserved motifs and revealed the presence of pre-SET and post-SET domains in several genes, suggesting functional diversification. Gene structure analysis further demonstrated variation in exon–intron organization, likely contributing to differential gene regulation. Promoter analysis identified cis-acting elements related to light responsiveness, plant growth, hormones, and stress, implicating SET genes in various biological processes. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR data revealed distinct expression patterns of SlSET genes under salt stress, with several genes showing significant upregulation, indicating their potential role in stress tolerance. In particular, SlSET6 silencing using VIGS reduced tomato’s tolerance to salt stress, leading to higher lipid peroxidation, reduced antioxidant enzyme activity, and decreased proline content, further confirming its critical role in salt stress response. These findings provide valuable insights into the functional diversity, evolutionary history, and stress-related roles of SET domain genes in tomato, with potential applications for crop improvement strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanism Underlying Plant Drought and Salinity Stress Tolerance)
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17 pages, 11188 KiB  
Article
Screening and Identification of Target Gene of StTCP7 Transcription Factor in Potato
by Xingru Si, Wenjin Xu, Junliang Fan, Kaitong Wang, Ning Zhang and Huaijun Si
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(19), 10450; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251910450 - 27 Sep 2024
Viewed by 883
Abstract
TCP transcription factors are involved in the regulation of plant growth and development and response to stress. Previous studies showed that StTCP7 was involved in the abiotic stress response of potato and positively regulated plant tolerance to drought stress. On the basis of [...] Read more.
TCP transcription factors are involved in the regulation of plant growth and development and response to stress. Previous studies showed that StTCP7 was involved in the abiotic stress response of potato and positively regulated plant tolerance to drought stress. On the basis of previous studies, this study verified the downstream target genes of StTCP7 transcription factor binding through yeast one hybridization, double luciferase and other technologies, and conducted a preliminary analysis of the downstream target genes. The results showed that the StTCP7 transcription factor could bind the promoter region of StDAM5 and StGOLS2 and regulate the expression of their genes. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of StDAM5 gene was the highest in flower stalk tissue and the lowest in leaf stalk. The expression of StGOLS2 gene was the highest in stem, the second in stalk, and the lower in root. Both StDAM5 and StGOLS2 genes responded to abiotic stress treated with 200 mM NaCl, 20% PEG-6000 and 100 µM ABA. The expression levels of target genes StDAM5 and StGOLS2 were up-regulated in StTCP7 interfered plants. The protein encoded by the target gene StDAM5 belongs to the Type II MADS-box protein, which contains 238 amino acids and is an acidic hydrophilic protein. The analysis of StDAM5 promoter region showed that the promoter region of StDAM5 gene contained cis-acting elements such as light response and abscisic acid. Subcellular localization showed that StDAM5 protein was expressed in both nucleus and cytoplasm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanism Underlying Plant Drought and Salinity Stress Tolerance)
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14 pages, 11550 KiB  
Article
Identification and Characterization of miRNAs and lncRNAs Associated with Salinity Stress in Rice Panicles
by Conghui Jiang, Yulong Wang, Yanan He, Yongbin Peng, Lixia Xie, Yaping Li, Wei Sun, Jinjun Zhou, Chongke Zheng and Xianzhi Xie
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(15), 8247; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158247 - 28 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1793
Abstract
Salinity is a common abiotic stress that limits crop productivity. Although there is a wealth of evidence suggesting that miRNA and lncRNA play important roles in the response to salinity in rice seedlings and reproductive stages, the mechanism by which competing endogenous RNAs [...] Read more.
Salinity is a common abiotic stress that limits crop productivity. Although there is a wealth of evidence suggesting that miRNA and lncRNA play important roles in the response to salinity in rice seedlings and reproductive stages, the mechanism by which competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) influence salt tolerance and yield in rice has been rarely reported. In this study, we conducted full whole-transcriptome sequencing of rice panicles during the reproductive period to clarify the role of ceRNAs in the salt stress response and yield. A total of 214 lncRNAs, 79 miRNAs, and 584 mRNAs were identified as differentially expressed RNAs under salt stress. Functional analysis indicates that they play important roles in GO terms such as response to stress, biosynthesis processes, abiotic stimuli, endogenous stimulus, and response to stimulus, as well as in KEGG pathways such as secondary metabolite biosynthesis, carotenoid biosynthesis, metabolic pathways, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. A ceRNA network comprising 95 lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA triplets was constructed. Two lncRNAs, MSTRG.51634.2 and MSTRG.48576.1, were predicted to bind to osa-miR172d-5p to regulate the expression of OsMYB2 and OsMADS63, which have been reported to affect salt tolerance and yield, respectively. Three lncRNAs, MSTRG.30876.1, MSTRG.44567.1, and MSTRG.49308.1, may bind to osa-miR5487 to further regulate the expression of a stress protein (LOC_Os07g48460) and an aquaporin protein (LOC_Os02g51110) to regulate the salt stress response. This study is helpful for understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of ceRNA that drive the response of rice to salt stress and provide new genetic resources for salt-resistant rice breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanism Underlying Plant Drought and Salinity Stress Tolerance)
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Review

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22 pages, 3896 KiB  
Review
Exogenous Substances Used to Relieve Plants from Drought Stress and Their Associated Underlying Mechanisms
by Di Feng, Wenxin Liu, Ke Chen, Songrui Ning, Qian Gao, Jiao Chen, Jiao Liu, Xiaoan Sun and Wanli Xu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(17), 9249; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179249 - 26 Aug 2024
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2642
Abstract
Drought stress (DS) is one of the abiotic stresses that plants encounter commonly in nature, which affects their life, reduces agricultural output, and prevents crops from growing in certain areas. To enhance plant tolerance against DS, abundant exogenous substances (ESs) have been attempted [...] Read more.
Drought stress (DS) is one of the abiotic stresses that plants encounter commonly in nature, which affects their life, reduces agricultural output, and prevents crops from growing in certain areas. To enhance plant tolerance against DS, abundant exogenous substances (ESs) have been attempted and proven to be effective in helping plants relieve DS. Understanding the effect of each ES on alleviation of plant DS and mechanisms involved in the DS relieving process has become a research focus and hotspot that has drawn much attention in the field of botany, agronomy, and ecology. With an extensive and comprehensive review and summary of hundred publications, this paper groups various ESs based on their individual effects on alleviating plant/crop DS with details of the underlying mechanisms involved in the DS-relieving process of: (1) synthesizing more osmotic adjustment substances; (2) improving antioxidant pathways; (3) promoting photosynthesis; (4) improving plant nutritional status; and (5) regulating phytohormones. Moreover, a detailed discussion and perspective are given in terms of how to meet the challenges imposed by erratic and severe droughts in the agrosystem through using promising and effective ESs in the right way and at the right time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanism Underlying Plant Drought and Salinity Stress Tolerance)
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